Sir Horace Shango Ové (born Horace Courtenay Jones; 3 December 1936 – 16 September 2023) was a Trinidadian-born British filmmaker, photographer, painter and writer based in London, England. One of the leading black

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

makers to emerge in Britain in the post-war period, Ové was the first black British filmmaker to direct a feature-length film, ''

Pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...

'' (1976).Josanne Leonard
"An Interview with Horace Ove – Film-Maker 7/09/08. The Boy from Belmont"
22 March 2009. From ''Trinidad and Tobago Review'', October 2007. In its retrospective documentary ''100 Years of Cinema'', the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

(BFI) declared: "Horace Ové is undoubtedly a pioneer in Black British history and his work provides a perspective on the Black experience in Britain." Ové built a prolific and sometimes controversial career as a filmmaker, documenting racism and the Black Power movement in Britain over many decades through photography and in films such as ''Baldwin's Nigger'' (1969), ''Pressure'', and ''Dream to Change the World'' (2003). Ové's documentaries, including ''Reggae'' (1971) and ''Skateboard Kings'' (1978), have also become models for emerging filmmakers. He was awarded a knighthood in the

2022 New Year Honours The 2022 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

for services to media.

Early years

Horace Ové was born Horace Courtenay Jones on 3 December 1936 in Belmont, Trinidad and Tobago, where he grew up as part of a large and "somewhat bohemian family – a mixture of African, Indian, French and Spanish".

Polly Pattullo Polly Pattullo Hon. Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL is a British author, journalist, editor and publisher, who co-founded in 1998 the independent publishing company Papillote Press,"Horace Ové: Coming Home"
''Caribbean Beat'', Issue 10, Summer 1994. As Attilah Springer has noted, he "was born into the Jones clan.... The Jones name was not theirs originally, but Ové's grandfather changed it when he wanted to open a business in downtown

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

; Indian-sounding places of business were not acceptable at that time in colonial Trinidad." In 1960, after legally changing his name to Horace Ové, he moved to Britain to study painting, photography and interior design. He also lived for a while in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy, as a painter. His entry into the film world was through working as a film extra on the set of the 1963 Joseph L. Mankiewicz epic historical drama ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'', starring

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

, after its production moved to Rome. Ové returned to London, where he lived during his early years in

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

West Hampstead West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden. Neighbouring areas includes Childs Hill to the north, Frognal to the east, Swiss Cottage to the south-east, South Hampstead to the south and Kilburn to the south-west. The neighbourh ...

and

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

, marrying Irish immigrant Mary Irvine, and studying at the London School of Film Technique.

As film director

In 1966, Ové directed ''The Art of the Needle'', a short film for the Acupuncture Association. In 1969, he made another short film, titled ''Baldwin's Nigger'', in which African-American writer James Baldwin – in conjunction with civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory – discusses Black experience and identity in Britain and the US. Filmed at the West Indian Students' Centre in London, the film documents a February 1968 lecture delivered there by Baldwin and a question-and-answer session with the audience. Ové's next film, shot at a concert in

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...

in 1970, was a documentary called ''Reggae'', which was successful in cinemas and was shown on

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

. Ové subsequently made other documentaries for the BBC, including ''King Carnival'' (1973, in '' The World About Us'' series), which has been acclaimed as "one of the best ever made about the history of

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual event held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago. This event is well known for participants' colorful costumes and exuberant celebrations. There are numerous cultural ev ...

". Then, in 1976, he directed the film for which he is best-known, ''

'' – the first full-length drama feature film by a Black director in Britain, which he co-wrote with

Samuel Selvon Samuel Dickson Selvon (20 May 1923 – 16 April 1994)"Samuel Selvon"
''Encyclop ...

. Telling the story of a London teenager who joins the Black Power movement in the 1970s, ''Pressure'' featured scenes of police brutality that ostensibly led to its banning for nearly three years by its own backers, the

, before it was eventually released to wide acclaim. Ové's other television work included directing ''A Hole in Babylon'' (co-written with Jim Hawkins, based on the Spaghetti House siege, featuring a cast including T-Bone Wilson, Trevor Thomas and Archie Pool), made for the BBC's ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' series, and first transmitted on 29 November 1979; four episodes of the pioneering series '' Empire Road'' in 1979, an episode of '' The Professionals'' ("A Man Called Quinn", 1981) and ''The Equalizer'' (shown on 8 January 1996 in the BBC series ''Hidden Empire''), about the 1919 Amritsar Massacre, which won two Indian Academy Awards in 1996. Ové co-wrote with H. O. Nazareth the script of the television film ''The Garland'' (1981), which led to the creation of an independent production company named Penumbra. Alongside Ové and Nazareth, other members of Penumbra Productions included Michael Abbensetts, Lindsay Barrett,

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

, Farrukh Dhondy, and Mustapha Matura. Ové's film '' Playing Away'' (1987, with a screenplay by Caryl Phillips), starring Norman Beaton and other actors such as

Joseph Marcell Joseph Marcell (born 14 August 1948) is a Saint Lucian-British actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Geoffrey Butler, the butler on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from September 1990 until the show ended in May 19 ...

, Ram John Holder, Brian Bovell, and Stefan Kalipha (incidentally, Ové's cousin), centres on the residents of the fictional British village of Sneddington, who invite the "Caribbean

Conquistadors" (from South London) for a cricket match to commemorate "African Famine Week". Ové's 2003 film ''Dream to Change the World'' (edited by Pete Stern) was a documentary about the life and work of John La Rose (1927–2006), the Trinidad-born activist, publisher and writer and founder of New Beacon Books in London.

As photographer

In parallel to his career in films is Ové's photography, which has been variously exhibited internationally over the decades, including at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

, the British Film Institute and the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

, Germany."Horace Ove – Filmography"
Caribbean360, 5 October 2007. In 1984, he had the first solo exhibition by a Black photographer at The Photographers' Gallery, entitled ''Breaking Loose: Horace Ove'', a retrospective that examines "his early photojournalism and the emergence of a strongly identifiable black culture in a post-colonial Britain" as well as documenting his travels throughout Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Following this was another exhibition that focused on his images of Trinidad Carnival, ''Farewell to the Flesh'', at Cornerhouse in Manchester, from 28 February to 5 April 1987. In 2001, he was invited to exhibit his works in ''Recontres de la Photographie'' in

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...

, Mali. In 2004, the exhibition ''Pressure: Photographs by Horace Ové'', described as "the first in-depth look at his photographic back catalogue", curated by Jim Waters and David A. Bailey, in association with Autograph ABP,"Horace Ove 'Pressure
University of Brighton Gallery, 2004. toured Britain, starting at

Nottingham Castle Nottingham Castle is a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion in Nottingham, England, built on the site of a Normans, Norman castle built starting in 1068, and added to extensively through the medieval period, when it was an important royal fortr ...

museum, moving to the

University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992. T ...

Gallery, the Norwich Gallery,

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Aberystwyth Arts Centre ( Welsh: ''Canolfan y Celfyddydau Aberystwyth'') is an arts centre in Wales, located on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus. One of the largest in Wales, it comprises a theatre (312 seats), concert hall (1,250 seats ...

in Wales and the Arts Depot in London. A 34-page publication by the curators contained an extract from an interview with Ové by Michael McMillian. According to a description of that exhibition:

1960's Britain was a hotbed of political and creative activity, writers and thinkers came from around the world to discuss civil rights issues and form new movements. Horace Ové was at many of the meetings and captured the events as they unfolded, including the first
Black Power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...
meeting with
Stokely Carmichael Kwame Ture (; born Stokely Standiford Churchill Carmichael; June 29, 1941November 15, 1998) was an American activist who played a major role in the civil rights movement in the United States and the global pan-African movement. Born in Trini ...
,
Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...
and Michael X, founder of the black power movement in the UK with
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
and
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
. He also photographed figures of the period including C. L. R. James, James Baldwin and
Darcus Howe Leighton Rhett Radford "Darcus" Howe (26 February 1943 – 1 April 2017)"Civil ...
as well as Sam Selvon, Andrew Salkey and John La Rose the founding members of the Caribbean Artists' Movement. Ové also recorded the birth of the
Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean Carnival event that has taken place in London since 1966
and charted its growth through the 1970s and 1980s from the early beginnings with the first Windrush generation to the pumping sound systems, fashions and street dancing of the younger generation. He has also recently brought his work up to date with new portraits of people like Sir Trevor MacDonald and Professor Stuart Hall.

Ové had an exhibition at the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

, London, in 2005, as well as work exhibited at London's

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

Tate Liverpool Tate Liverpool is an art gallery in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and part of Tate, along with Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London. The gallery was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corporatio ...

, the Whitechapel Gallery and a retrospective of his film and photographic work at the

Barbican A barbican (from ) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe Medieval Europeans typically b ...

. His work also featured in the

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...

exhibition ''How We Are: Photographing Britain''. Interviewed in 2010 by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' about his iconic 1967 photograph of Michael X with bodyguards at

Paddington Station Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, London railway station and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by ...

, Ové said: "I'm a film-maker as well as a photographer, and I live in a visual world. I've always been an active photographer – if there's anything going on socially or politically, I want to know about it. So the late 1960s and early 70s were a very busy time for me." Ové also photographed artist Chris Ofili in Trinidad, and portraits of other Black creatives featured on his website include

Linton Kwesi Johnson Linton Kwesi Johnson Order of Distinction, OD (born 24 August 1952), also known as LKJ, is a Jamaica-born, British-based dub poetry, dub poet and activist. In 2002, he became the second living poet, and the only black one, to be published in th ...

, Derek Walcott,

, Caryl Phillips, Ram John Holder,

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

, Rudolph Walker, Madge Sinclair,

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the early 2020s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pa ...

John Akomfrah Sir John Akomfrah (born 4 May 1957) is a Ghanaian-born British artist, writer, film director, screenwriter, theorist and curator of Ghanaian descent, whose "commitment to a radicalism both of politics and of cinematic form finds expression in ...

, Isaac Julien and

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...

As theatre director

During the course of his career, Ové also directed stage plays, including in 1973 ''Blackblast'' written by Lindsay Barrett, the first Black play to be shown at London's

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...

, ''The Swamp Dwellers'' by

Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka , (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian author, best known as a playwright and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two transla ...

, and in 1993 ''The Lion'' by Michael Abbensetts, for Talawa Theatre Company at the Cochrane Theatre (30 September–23 October; also on

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

tour to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, performed at the Ward Theatre,

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

, 3–13 November), starring Madge Sinclair, Stefan Kalipha and Danny Sapani.

Directing style

In terms of style as a director, Ové admitted to being heavily influenced by neo-realism, having studied European filmmakers such as De Sica, Antonioni, Buñuel and

Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

during his time living in Rome. He acknowledged influences from African-American political leaders of the 1960s and 1970s such as

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

and Stokely Carmichael but was somewhat disparaging of contemporary Black politics in Britain: "In black British politics there are still lot of things that are missing, that are not said."

Personal life and death

Ové's first wife was Mary Irvine, with whom he had two children, actress Indra Ové and artist Zak Ové. Ové's subsequent marriage to Annabelle Alcazar, with whom he also had two children, filmmaker Kaz Ové and Make up Artist Ezana Ové (was one of the producers of ''Pressure'' and of later films, including 2007's ''The Ghost of Hing King Estate''), ended in separation after 25 years. Ové died in London on 16 September 2023, after suffering with Dementia and Alzheimer's for some years. He was 86. The BFI, which had scheduled a retrospective titled ''Power to the People: Horace Ové's Radical Vision'', said in tribute to his career that spanned four decades and encompassed "cutting-edge drama and documentary" that he "worked outside of the system, showing generations of black film-makers that it could be done, and that their voices have power."

Awards, honours and recognition

Ové was the recipient of the Scarlet Ibis medal from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in recognition of his international achievements in television and film, and in 1986 was named Best Director for Independent Film and Television by the British Film Institute, awarded for his "contribution to British culture". In 2006, he was one of five winners of the £30,000

Paul Hamlyn Paul Hamlyn, Baron Hamlyn, (born Paul Bertrand Wolfgang Hamburger; 12 February 1926 – 31 August 2001) was a German-born British publisher and philanthropist, who established the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in 1987. Early life He was born Paul Be ...

Foundation Award for Visual Arts. Ové was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

2007 Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours 2007 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 17 June 2007, to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2007.Antigua & Barbuda list: The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and ...

for his contributions to the film industry in the UK. In November 2011, three young filmmakers competing on ''

Dragons' Den ''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it ...

'' as part of the 55th BFI

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...

Education Events, First Light, won £2000 funding and professional mentoring having successfully pitched their idea to make a short documentary about Horace Ové. At the 2012 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, Ové was honoured as a "T&T Film Pioneer"."Tribute to Horace Ové at the ttff/12"
Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival, 18 September 2012. In 2013, the government of Trinidad and Tobago recognized him as a National Icon, one of "60 nationals and organizations who have personified and epitomised the strong values, fundamental beliefs, and cultural aspirations of our society". In 2017, at the 12th Screen Nation Film and Television Awards, Ové was honoured with the Edric Connor Trailblazer award. Ové was awarded the

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early Nov ...

(BIFA) Special Jury Prize 2018, with the citation stating: "In a year where Windrush has been plastered across newspaper headlines, it seems fitting that the jury have chosen to honour one of the generation's proudest voices." Ové was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the

for services to media. Also in 2022, The Film and Television Charity launched a fund named in his honour, the Sir Horace Ové Grant, aiming "to help Black and Global Majority people working behind the scenes in film, TV, and cinema to access opportunity and navigate barriers to career progression".

Influence and legacy

The 2019

Somerset House Somerset House is a large neoclassical architecture, neoclassical building complex situated on the south side of the Strand, London, Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadran ...

exhibition ''Get Up, Stand Up Now'', curated by Zak Ové, celebrated 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond, beginning with "Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers, and extending to today's brilliant young Black talent globally"."Get Up, Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Peers"
(12 June–15 September 2019), Somerset House. A retrospective season titled ''Power to the People: Horace Ové's Radical Vision'' was announced for autumn 2023 as a celebration of his work at the

BFI Southbank BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the United Kingdom, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Inst ...

, featuring a restored version of ''Pressure'' to be premiered at the

and the

New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center. Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, NYFF i ...

, preceding the film's UK-wide cinema release.

Selected filmography

* 1966 – ''The Art of the Needle'' (documentary; director) * 1969 – ''Baldwin's Nigger'' (documentary of a lecture by James Baldwin, accompanied by Dick Gregory; director/producer) * 1971 – ''Reggae'' (documentary, BBC; director) * 1972 – ''Coleherne Jazz and Keskidee Blues'' (documentary, BBC; director) * 1972 – ''The Black Safari'' (documentary,

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

, '' The World About Us''; presenter) * 1973 – ''King Carnival'' (documentary, BBC; director) * 1973 – ''The Mangrove Nine'' (producer; directed by

Franco Rosso Franco Rosso (29 August 1941 – 9 December 2016)Bill Douglas Centre"Franco Rosso 1942-2016" ''Babylon'', 27 December 2016.Martin Stellman"Franco Rosso obituary" ''The Guardian'', 2 January 2017. was an Italian-born film producer and director b ...

, scripted by John La Rose) * 1976 – ''

'' (feature film; director, screenwriter with Sam Selvon) * 1978 – ''Skateboard Kings'' (documentary, BBC; director) * 1979 – '' Empire Road'' (TV series; episodes 5, 6 and 10) * 1979 – ''A Hole in Babylon'' (BBC, ''

''; director) * 1980 – ''Stretch Hunter'' (drama; director, writer) * 1980 – ''The Latchkey Children'' (serial, ITV, 6 episodes; director) * 1981 – ''The Garland'' (BBC, ''Play for Today''; co-written with H. O. Nazareth; starring Paul Anil, Adrian Bracken, Ishaq Bux) * 1984 – ''Street Art'' (documentary,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

; director) * 1985 – ''Music Fusion'' (documentary, Channel 4; director) * 1985 – ''Dabbawallahs'' (Channel 4; director, produced by Anabelle Alcazar Ové) * 1985 – ''Who Shall We Tell?'' (documentary, Channel 4; director, produced by Anabelle Alcazar Ové) * 1987 – '' Playing Away'' (feature film, Channel 4; director) * 1991 – '' The Orchid House'' (TV series, adapted from the 1953 novel of the same name by

Phyllis Shand Allfrey Phyllis Byam Shand Allfrey (24 October 1908 – 4 February 1986) was a West Indian writer, socialist activist, newspaper editor and politician of the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. She is best known for her first novel, '' The Orchid Hous ...

) * 1996 – ''The Equalizer'' (director) - episode in the ''Hidden Empire'' series. * 2003 – ''Dream To Change the World'' (a tribute to John La Rose; director) * 2007 – ''The Ghost of Hing King Estate'' (director)

Selected exhibitions

* 1984 – ''Breaking Loose: Horace Ove'', The Photographers' Gallery * 1987 – ''Farewell to the Flesh'', Cornerhouse, Manchester * 2004 – ''Pressure: Photographs by Horace Ové'' (touring)

Publications

* Jim Waters and David Bailey (eds), ''Pressure: Photographs by Horace Ove'', Nottingham City Museums & Galleries, 2004.

Notes

References

. Barbican Cinema, 5 June 2017. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ove, Horace 1936 births 2023 deaths Alumni of the London Film School Black British cinema Black British filmmakers Black British photographers British documentary film directors British film directors British film producers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in England Deaths from dementia in England Jazz photographers Knights Bachelor People from Port of Spain Photographers from London Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United Kingdom Trinidad and Tobago film directors Trinidad and Tobago knights